Why Use Care Planning Software?

Digitised care management programmes have revolutionised the domiciliary care sector - but why use care planning software, and what is it exactly? 

If you work in the domiciliary care sector, you will know first hand how important it is to have a care plan for your patients. A care plan details each individual patient's needs, listing essential information such as routines, medication and so forth. 

Conventionally, care plans have been crafted on paper. Any changes to the patient's care is handwritten in note form, with all of the necessary information likely stored in a filing cupboard, with records being updated manually. 

However, in recent years, more and more home carers have taken to the use of care planning software as a way of recording and navigating their patient's needs. But why use care planning software? Let's explore some of the benefits. 

the time-saving solution

If there is one sector in the world where time management is the biggest priority, it is most definitely the healthcare sector. When you're caring for the wellbeing of others, misuse of time can mean a lower quality of care. 

One of the biggest and most obvious reasons why more people are using care planning software are the time saving implications. 

Spending hours upon hours manually filing and checking notes written by a network of different carers can become incredibly mundane, not to mention the subsequent stress when you misplace an important piece of paperwork. 

Care planning software makes this a non-issue. You can easily update client's care plans online for your whole team to see, as well as search and locate individual plans with the tap of a button. This allows carers to spend more time looking after their patients and building effective care plans.

The money-saving solution

In the UK, the medical and healthcare profession has been put under a large amount of financial and resource-based stress, especially in recent years. 

For example, in 2018, the UK spent the equivalent of £3,227 per person on healthcare - 214.4 billion pounds in total. This number has only increased following the pandemic, with an estimated 7.4% additional cost since 2020. 

Every little helps, and this is especially true when it comes to finances. Operating via care planning software rather than paperwork saves money on resources that may seem cheap at the time, but can quickly start to add up. 

For example, paper and stationary are all added costs that can be cut almost entirely when you move to a digital system. Additionally, with all of the needed information, care plans and more being stored via an all-in-one shared operating system, there is less need for physical storage space. This frees up funds that would have been spent on cabinets, boxes and so on.

The care-focused solution

As a carer, your patients are undoubtedly your priority. Nothing is more important than providing thorough and efficient care that matches their needs precisely. 

With this in mind, it is important to always have accurate and factual information on your patients to hand. Information that is indecipherable or sloppily recorded can result in unsuitable care and can be potentially detrimental to the wellbeing of your clients.  

A focus on correct care is one of the main reasons why so many organisations are using care planning software. Digitised care plans make it easier for and quicker for carers to update records and record important details, meaning more thorough notes to work from. 

Additionally, some care planning software allows you to present key information in chart form. This visual aid can help to make patient data more memorable and digestible for members of your team. 

A solution for the future 

Fundamentally, using care planning software future-proofs your patient data and the reputation of your team as a whole on both a smaller scale and a larger one. 

Unfortunately, there is always a level of risk associated with physical assets. Incidents such as robberies or a fire in your institution could result in the destruction of thousands of patient files, with no way of retrieving the lost data. 

Alternatively, storing data on a cloud-based platform keeps it safe from physical damage. Even if you were to break your phone, the information will remain unharmed and can simply be accessed from another device instead. 

On a macro scale, we are living in a world where technology is becoming more and more integral in every aspect of life - and the healthcare sector is no exception. 

Moving to a care management system will keep your healthcare team in line with the current technological trajectory, and secures the future of your company in a paperless world. 

Care planning software & your comms group

If you think it could be time for your business to switch to the use of care planning software, Your Comms Group are here to help. 

Our team specialises in the distribution of devices that are locked, loaded and ready to go with everything related to care management. Take a look at our variety of software partners and get in touch with a member of our team to find out how we can help.